Reflections: Seek Forgiveness

The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says, ‘O son of Adam, as long as you call on Me, I shall forgive you of what you have done, and think nothing of it. O son of Adam, even if your sins were to reach up to the clouds in the sky, and then you were to ask for My forgiveness, I would forgive you and think nothing of it. O son of Adam, even if you were to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then you were to meet Me after death, not worshipping anything besides Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as the earth.”

Living in today’s society it can feel like the odds to be a pious Muslim are stacked against you. There are temptations all around you and sometimes it’s just easier to join them in attempts to fit in. At times we fall into these temptations and that leads to sinning. And that’s okay because you’re human and we all sin in different ways. But don’t let these setbacks distance you from Allah (SWT).

It’s unfortunate that many of us haven’t been thoroughly debriefed on who Allah (SWT) really is. It’s unfortunate that we say,‘Bismillah ir Rahman ir Rahim’ (In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Kind), so often, but yet we truly forget that He is quite actually, the Most Merciful, and the Most Kind. Often times, we feel as though we’re just ‘too sinful’ or have done something ‘so bad’ that there is no possible way that Allah (SWT) can or will forgive us. In these moments, shaytaan is whispering in our hearts. He wants us to deny Allah (SWT)’s Ultimate Mercy. In addition to this, we’re also so caught up in mankind’s reactions towards certain acts, that we forget that Allah (SWT) does not deal with our affairs and our shortcomings the same way people would. Humans tend to be conditional, unforgiving, and cold. However it is really important to remember that Allah (SWT) is nothing like this. People may be harsh and not be able to forgive us, but Allah (SWT) is nothing like His creation. His Mercy surpasses any mercy that we know from mankind. His Mercy is superior and His Love is never ending.

Take one step towards Me, I will take ten steps towards you. Walk towards me, I will run towards you.

In times of hardship and confusion, it can be difficult to remember these true qualities of Allah (SWT), but how comforting is it to know that Allah (SWT) is always ready to forgive us? We just need to ask with sincerity. In Hadith Qudsi Allah (SWT) says, “Take one step towards Me, I will take ten steps towards you. Walk towards me, I will run towards you.” If you reflect on this hadith even for just a minute, you just might get the chills. We must not live with a mindset that Allah (SWT) is unreachable or conditional in his Love and Mercy. We must unlearn this mindset of never being worthy of forgiveness. Allah (SWT) is telling us repeatedly that He is theUltimate Forgiver and the Most Kind. His Mercy is incomparable. He is ready to forgive you, He is just waiting for you to ask.

I once heard my imam say, “We will not enter Jannah on our actions alone and that the mercy of Allah (SWT) will be needed for any of us to enter Jannah.”This struck a chord with me because it made me realize that ALL of us will need Allah (SWT)’s Mercy to enter Jannah. Our actions, though they are important, will not dictate if we enter Jannah. It is never too late to turn to Allah (SWT) and ask for forgiveness with a sincere heart because He is there waiting for you to turn to Him.

May Allah (SWT) guide us all on the path of righteousness and help us all become better Muslims. Ameen.